Written by Janroe Cabiles, drawn by Jay Lagrimas (his first time to study and draw comics), art direction by Robert Alejandro, and edited/produced by the Commission on Human Rights through its Human Rights Education and Promotion Office – Advocacy and Information Campaign Division. Thanks to Cecile J. Baltasar and the Strategic Communication Division for the insights. One of the projects I handled as focal person for mental health. The last feature (feature 7) of the comic series “How Are You Today?” released on social media on November 18, 2021 to promote the right to mental health.

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The Indigenous people of our country have been living on the periphery. The fight for their rights doesn’t end with their lands, but also includes their mental health.

How do we support them in their struggles? Aside from education, cultural preservation, and protecting their lands, what they need is to be seen, listened to, and understood. Because mental health is a basic human right. #HowAreYouToday

Written by Janroe Cabiles, drawn by Jay Lagrimas, art direction by Robert Alejandro, and edited/produced by the Commission on Human Rights through its Human Rights Education and Promotion Office – Advocacy and Information Campaign Division. Thanks to Cecile J. Baltasar and the Strategic Communication Division for the insights. One of the projects I handled as focal person for mental health. Feature 6 of the comic series “How Are You Today?” released on social media on November 17, 2021 to promote the right to mental health.

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All persons have diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC), which include lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, queer and intersex (LGBQTI) persons. Although the conversations on the LGBTQI community and their issues have earned heighted attention, many still face discrimination because of their SOGIESC.

The impact of this is damaging to mental health. The effects haunt the youth into adulthood. We are with you in your struggles. More than tolerance, we need to advocate for acceptance. We stand with you in this cause. Because you are valid. #HowAreYouToday

Written by Janroe Cabiles, drawn by Jay Lagrimas, and art direction by Robert Alejandro. Edited/produced by the Commission on Human Rights through its Human Rights Education and Promotion Office – Advocacy and Information Campaign Division. Thanks to Cecile J. Baltasar and the Strategic Communication Division for the insights. One of the projects I handled as focal person for mental health. Feature 5 of the comic series “How Are You Today?” released on social media on 16 November 2021 to promote the right to mental health.

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Whether you are a certified therapist, psychologist, or simply a friend who lends an ear, emotional burnout is real— and it doesn’t make you a bad person.

Just like the burnout we experience at work, it doesn’t make us bad at our job. It’s the responsibility of companies to take care of their employees and advocate work-life balance, because we are all just human. So remember that. And be there for yourself, too. #HowAreYouToday

Written by Janroe Cabiles, drawn by Jay Lagrimas, and art direction by Robert Alejandro. Edited/produced by the Commission on Human Rights through its Human Rights Education and Promotion Office – Advocacy and Information Campaign Division. Thanks to Cecile J. Baltasar and the Strategic Communication Division for the insights. One of the projects I handled as focal person for mental health. Feature 4 of the comic series “How Are You Today?” released on social media today to promote the right to mental health.

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Students today face new struggles: lack of equipment for online classes, limited interactions with peers due to distance learning, and even distractions at home.

But remember, we can still be there for each other. Schools, even in an online setup, can be a safe space too. #HowAreYouToday

Written by Janroe Cabiles, drawn by Jay Lagrimas, and art direction by Robert Alejandro. Edited and produced by the Commission on Human Rights through its Human Rights Education and Promotion Office – Advocacy and Information Campaign Division. Thanks to Cecile J. Baltasar and the Strategic Communication Division for the insights. One of the projects I handled as focal person for mental health. Feature 3 of our comic series entitled “How Are You Today?” released today on social media to promote the right to mental health.

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Help is always within reach. It can be found anywhere— in prayer or praise, from the arms of our loved ones to the ears of kind strangers. Never forget: you never walk alone. #HowAreYouToday

Two days ago, the first feature of our comic series entitled “How Are You Today?” was released on social media. Yesterday, this second feature was released. “Unhealthy mind, unhealthy body” was written by Janroe Cabiles, drawn by Jay Lagrimas, and art direction by Robert Alejandro. Edited/produced by the Commission on Human Rights through its Human Rights Education and Promotion Office – Advocacy and Information Campaign Division for the right to mental health campaign. Thanks to Cecile J. Baltasar and the Strategic Communication Division for the insights. One of the projects I handled as focal person for mental health.

To see this published was enough. To see so many reactions from the readers and the post got shared by almost 2K readers as of this writing is a bonus. To be honest, it made me teary seeing the reactions and shares, remembering the process behind the comics.

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Our mental health changes day by day. When you’re not okay, it does not only exist in your head but can affect your physical health too. Symptoms, such as nausea, palpitations, or difficulty in breathing, can happen out of nowhere. They tell us that something isn’t right.

You are not overreacting. Mental illness deserves to be treated like any other sickness or injury. Be kind to yourself and rest. The world can wait. #HowAreYouToday

It was my first time to be working on developing comic strips (I am just one of the reviewers) together with writer Janroe Cabiles, artist Jay Lagrimas, and kuya Robert Alejandro who, by the way, volunteered to provide the art direction for this campaign of the Commission on Human Rights. Originally, we were only thinking about producing socmed cards with different topics on mental health until writer/editor Cecile Baltasar proposed comics to target the youth during our very first meeting when I presented our proposed IEC materials. And how could I not think of that! When I am a comics reader myself.

Creating comics on mental health is serious work to make it easy to understand and relatable. I am proud that I volunteered to be the focal person of our division for this right to mental health campaign.

Here is Feature 1 out of the seven features.

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Mental health is the kindness we show ourselves, allowing us to feel the full range of our emotions, and most of all, asking for support when we need it the most. Mental health is a basic human right, so we want to ask you, #HowAreYouToday?